ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 1994 TO 31ST MARCH, 1995 (Paper Cmd. 2 of 1994)

Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [1st Allotted Day].

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The Chairman: Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 1st April 1994 to 31st March 1995, contained in Paper Cmd. 2 of 1994. I shall take the totals for each head of expenditure in the Main and Development Estimates appearing in the last columns of the Main and Development Outlays for FY 94 on pages 43 and 44 respectively of the Command Paper.

Besides the "guillotine" times for heads of expenditure, which I have fixed under Standing Order 89(7)(a), I have also allotted the time for the discussion of each amendment in the Estimates. I shall announce these times as we go along.

In addition to the extension of the sitting time of the Committee by half an hour on each of the seven allotted days, I have also increased the number of allotted days by one day to eight days. However, even with these increases of time, we will, I expect, be hard pressed for time.

Members will therefore not be allotted the time they have requested for discussing their amendments. I shall confine speeches to certain time limits wherever it is necessary to do so. While I shall try to keep the proceedings moving at a brisk pace, I would ask Members on both sides of the House to keep their speeches short and sweet so that we can complete our business expeditiously.

I shall deal first with the heads of expenditure in respect of which amendments stand on the Order Paper Supplement.

Head V -

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head V of the Development Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code VA 5100.

(In Mandarin): Sir, the Development Estimates have increased tremendously under the Prime Minister's Office. There is a seven-fold increase, about $9.14 million for Istana and $3.11 million for the renovation of Command House, and $2.6 million for the completion of some projects. Apart from MND spending about $10 million for the renovation of the Istana Park outside the Istana entrance, we are now spending such a lot of money to renovate Istana. Why is it necessary to carry out the massive renovations? I would ask the Prime Minister to justify this renovation.

Secondly, the renovation of Command House. According to Lianhe Zaobao, this will become the official residence of the Elected President. I do not understand. Istana is meant for the President. Why does the Government want to spend so much money to renovate Istana and, at the same time, spend another big sum of money to renovate Command House for the Elected President? Is it necessary?

Thirdly, some completed projects needed $2.6 million. What sort of projects were involved and when were these projects completed?

The Acting Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Sir, first, let me clarify the $10 million that has been spent for the Istana Park is the park outside the Istana. It is not in Istana. We name it Istana Park, but it is intended for the use of the Singaporean public. It is a piece of land outside the Istana, along Orchard Road. So he should not ascribe the $10 million to renovation within the Istana.

The second point is: why is there a need to refurbish Istana? The Istana buildings are very old. The main building was built in 1869, that is about 125 years ago. Minor renovations have been done over the years but the building requires upgrading to meet present-day needs. Space and facilities for the staff and for holding state functions are very limited. The Government has therefore decided to have a major renovation to the Istana to upgrade and modernise the mechanical and electrical services and facilities as well as to build an extension block to provide the additional space.

Let me elaborate the reasons why we have to refurbish the Istana. First, there is an acute shortage of functional space in Istana. Because of this constraint, the Government has to limit the number of guests to be invited to state functions, for example, state banquets for visiting heads of state or other ceremonial functions. Second, the Banquet Room and the State Room have to double up for use as wet weather programme for garden functions. Each time when there is a garden reception, as a precaution for wet weather, all the tables and chairs in the Banquet Room and State Room have to be removed and stacked away along the corridors and tarpaulins rolled on to the floors to protect the carpets. This is very labour intensive. It will also incur maintenance cost. It is also very unsightly for guests to see all the tables and chairs stacked along the corridors. Therefore, in the proposed renovation, a new multi-purpose hall will be created to serve the purpose of wet weather programme. Proper storerooms are also built to store the furniture.

Third, there is also a shortage of space for the staff working in the Istana. There are no common rooms for the staff to rest when they are required to stay back in the evening to organise official functions and attend to the guests. The staff have to rest along the corridors.

Finally, most of the M&E equipment in the Istana are 15-20 years old, beyond their normal lifespan. It costs us a large amount to maintain them and they are in need of replacement. For these reasons, therefore, the Government decided to refurbish the Istana.

As for the Command House, the Command House was also built a long time ago. It was built in 1938. It was used as the official residence of the Speaker of Parliament from 1972 to 1989. The current Speaker had decided not to live in the Command House. The House was therefore put up for rent. We managed to find two short-term tenants. The House has been vacant since March last year because there were no suitable tenants to be found. The existing House is not properly furnished and its provisions are very basic. The Government has therefore decided to renovate the building and upgrade the mechanical and electrical systems. After renovation, the Command House will be used as the official residence of the Elected President.

So the refurbishment of the Istana is primarily to serve state functions. The refurbishment of the Command House will serve as the official residence of the Elected President.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, the Minister mentioned about staff. Approximately, how many staff are working in the Istana? As for the renovation of Command House, I understand that previously the President had been living in the Istana. Since we are going to renovate Istana, why can we not have an extension for the President to live there? Why is there a need to further renovate Command House? What would happen if, say, the next Elected President decides not to live there, just like the Speaker of the House? What are you going to do then?

The other question which the Minister has not answered is the $2.6 million of completed projects. What are the projects?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: I do not have the specific number of staff that the President has. The main part of the refurbishment of the Istana is in the refurbishment of the old buildings. Many of our old buildings, City Hall, etc., have to be refurbished after 100 years. The buildings are in a very bad state. So it is mainly to refurbish the buildings. Part of the other reason is of course to create office space and rooms for the staff. I do not have the exact numbers but I will find it out and pass it to the Member.

The second point is: why can the Elected President not stay in the Istana? As he well knows, the main building of the Istana and the Annexe are used as offices for the Elected President, the Prime Minister and the Senior Minister, as well as rooms for state functions. The previous President lived in another small building on the Istana grounds, called the Istana Lodge. During this refurbishment, the Istana Lodge will be used as a temporary office for the President and his staff. This allows us to make use of the building while we are refurbishing the main building. Otherwise, we have to find temporary offices for the Elected President.

On the question of $2.6 million, I am not sure where the Member gets the figure. Maybe he could enlighten me.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: It is in the Budget book. It was for completed projects.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Is it related to Istana and Command House?

The Chairman: Order. It is ``guillotine'' time. Mr Low, do you want to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, I beg to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $24,869,830 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $15,352,000 for Head V ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

1.45 pm

Head K -

Mr Bernard Chen (Brickworks GRC): Sir, I beg to move,

That the total sum to be allocated for Head K of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100.

Sir, in the past several years, the security situation in the world, and in particular in this region, has undergone dramatic changes. While the threat of nuclear wars has abated somewhat, the same cannot be said of the conventional conflicts which have affected many countries in Europe and Africa. A more disturbing trend is that many of these conflicts arose as a result of internal problems relating to ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the people rather than from external sources. We are more blessed in nature where rapid economic development in most countries in the Pacific Rim has brought about prosperity and improved well-being to the people. There is less opportunity for conflicts as everyone is preoccupied with improving the standard of living. To a large extent, many people would hold the view that wars are no longer imminent and we will reduce the emphasis we have placed so far on defence.

In Singapore, we have always taken the position that it is far better to be prepared than to be caught unaware no matter how remote the possibility of conflicts that may arise, given the multi-racial and cultural nature of our society. We have for some years now subscribed to the concept of Total Defence encompassing Military, Civil, Economic, Social and Psychological Defence. Each of these aspects is relevant to the particular structure of our society. Each of these policies needs to be reviewed and varied where necessary so that they may remain relevant to our security needs.

It would be useful for the Minister to brief the House on the changes that have been brought about in the past year to maintain our military capability. Since the five areas of Total Defence are closely linked, the Minister may also wish to enlighten the House on the progress that has been made to the implementation of the Total Defence policy. I know that the Minister will be tempted to ask the other Ministers to answer the other four polices, but I submit that since the Minister for Defence is in overall charge of Total Defence, the Minister may find it more convenient to do on behalf of his colleagues.

The Chairman: Mr Chiam is not here. Dr Lau Teik Soon.

Dr Lau Teik Soon (Thomson GRC): Sir, defence analysts have noted a worrying trend with regard to defence expenditures of states in the Asia-Pacific region. With increased growth rates of many states in the region, for example, in the case of China, double digit growth over the last few years, and some of the ASEAN states experiencing growth rates of over 6%, more money is available for the defence establishments in these countries. At the same time, there are a number of countries offering very sophisticated weapons at bargain prices. It seems that there is a rush to buy sophisticated weapons on the part of many states, whether it be F16s, SU29, radar installations or any other weapons.

The reasons for the increased expenditures are many. They include the modernisation programmes of defence forces, the need to enhance defence capability and to contribute to regional security. However, there is the view that defence build-up may lead in fact to an arms race among the states in the region. This is worrying because there are many potential conflict issues in the Asia-Pacific relating to territorial disputes, competition over resources and age-old problems, for example, in the Korean Peninsula.

To prevent misunderstanding, Sir, it is important therefore for states to promote defence cooperation among themselves, especially among states within the sub-region. Various cooperative measures can be adopted, for example, exchange of visits, joint exercises, exchange of information, bilateral arrangements and even multi-lateral defence arrangements.

Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to inform the House what forms of defence cooperation have been implemented between Singapore and other states in the region, especially our ASEAN neighbours.

Dr Ho Tat Kin (Toa Payoh GRC): Sir, over the years, increasing competing demands for land use as industrial, residential and national development projects have reduced the land available for military training. Many areas previously used by the SAF are no longer available. Tampines is now developed into a residential area. JTC has taken back Woodlands and Loyang for industrial development. Parts of Lim Chu Kang and Yio Chu Kang are now used for high-tech farming. Only about 15% of the total land area is available for SAF training purposes. Yet providing realistic training is the cornerstone of a credible and modern fighting army.

Sir, space constraint is not limited to land but also air space. Local air space available for air force flight training is minimal. Singapore's air space is already very small and yet a significant proportion of the air space is being crowded by complex and block systems of flight paths and air corridors serving civilian airline flights. This is expected to increase in the coming years. The air space for training can therefore be expected to be reduced even further. At the same time, access to certain hazardous zones such as flying over army live firing areas must continue to be restricted for safety reasons.

Sir, traditionally in the 60s and 70s, Singapore had limited access to training space over peninsular Malaya. In 1983, Singapore and Malaya had an official agreement defining boundaries of what is known as the low flying area. But I understand that in February 1991, Malaysia has drastically reduced this by 85%. Our air force could of course conduct their training over the South China Sea, but this space is also used by other air forces for training. I understand that to fly to the training area, two-thirds of the flying time is used. In spite of the land and air space constraint, the SAF must train hard to maintain operational readiness.

Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what alternatives have been provided to the SAF for training and how effective are these alternatives.

The Second Minister for Defence (Dr Lee Boon Yang): Sir, I shall reply to the Chairman of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs.

Sir, in 1984, Mindef introduced the concept of Total Defence as Singapore's strategy for security. Total Defence comprises five aspects, as the Chairman of the GPC has mentioned, namely, Psychological Defence, Social Defence, Economic Defence, Civil Defence and Military Defence. Let me highlight the key principles of each of these elements.

Sir, Psychological Defence is the foremost aspect of Total Defence. Psychological Defence is about the collective will to stand up for our right, to protect what is ours, and to prosper and progress in our own way as a nation.

Social Defence is about our people living and working together in harmony. Social Defence strengthens Singapore's community spirit and ensures that the social cohesion we now enjoy will never disintegrate.

Economic Defence is Government, business and industry, organising themselves in a manner such that our economy will never collapse when faced with adversity. If we slip behind economically, we also slip behind militarily. Economic Defence will ensure that we remain nimble, resilient and robust, able to deal with all forms of threats without allowing our economy to come to a standstill.

Civil Defence is preparing and educating our people to respond to emergency situation and to ensure that life goes on as normally as possible. Civil Defence readiness means having adequate supplies of food, water, fuel, medicine, blood and so on. And the population, so well prepared, that they will not panic when disaster strikes.

Military Defence is the ability to have credible defence strategy against threats to Singapore's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Military Defence is bolstered with a strong defence technological capability and an efficient defence industry.

Sir, the Ministries of Community Development, Trade and Industry, Home Affairs, Information and the Arts and Mindef are responsible for the various aspects of Total Defence. A Total Defence working committee chaired by the Head of Civil Service was formed in July 1985 to oversee the efforts of the various Ministries. This committee's main role is to mould attitudes towards Total Defence so that it becomes a conscious element in policy formulation by the Ministries and their statutory boards.

Over the years, Mindef has worked with the other Total Defence Ministries to bring home to Singaporeans the importance of Total Defence. This has been carried out through various activities, campaigns and national education programmes run by the respective Ministries. Exercises have also been held, such as the Food and Fuel and Civil Defence Shelter exercises. Other preparatory measures have also been implemented such as the use of computers to monitor stocks of essential food items and construction of air-raid shelters.

On Mindef's part, we have organised mass information campaigns and national education programmes to highlight the importance of Total Defence to Singaporeans. Last year, we launched a programme for national awareness for trainee teachers together with the Institute of Education. Teachers play a vital role in emphasising the importance of defence to young Singaporeans. The experience and exposure in this programme would generate confidence in the SAF among the teachers and enable them to convey the essential values and concept to our students.

After the Total Defence plans were formalised in 1984, Mindef carried out an extensive public information campaign on the Total Defence concept. To regenerate awareness of Total Defence as Singapore's strategy for security, in July this year Mindef will once again launch a mass information campaign to educate younger Singaporeans who have not been exposed to this concept or are not totally familiar with Singapore's approach to security. Mindef together with the other Total Defence Ministries will continue with efforts to generate and give greater awareness of the Total Defence programme so that every Singaporean understands his or her role in the defence of Singapore.

The Minister for Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong): Sir, I will be responding to Prof. Lau and Dr Ho's points on defence cooperation and limitation of space for training. 2.00 pm

Sir, Singapore's defence policy is based on a two-pronged approach of diplomacy and deterrence. We have built up a strong deterrence capability to deter threats to Singapore from surfacing. But deterrence alone is not enough. As a small nation, it is vital for Singapore to have good defence relations with as many countries as possible, especially with our neighbours in ASEAN. Hence, Mindef has an active policy of fostering good relations, building open and frank communications, enhancing common interests among our neighbours and other countries. Such relations will serve us in good stead and minimise the prospect of tension and instability in the future. Our efforts to establish close defence ties and strengthen relations with our neighbours and other armed forces have been successful. I will give a brief account of some of them.

Mindef gives priority to maintaining close defence relations with our ASEAN partners. The SAF enjoys warm and cordial ties with the armed forces of the other ASEAN countries. These ties have been built up over the years and bilateral relations have been institutionalised. We hold regular bilateral exercises and annual bilateral games and facilitate regular exchange of visits. Our officers also attend each other's military academies and training institutions. The SAF now conducts regular bilateral exercises with all other ASEAN countries, the most recent country being the Philippines. We place great emphasis on such bilateral military exercises which have over the years grown both in scope and sophistication.

The Air Forces and Navies of the ASEAN countries also hold regular bilateral exercises. Our Air Force, for example, exercises annually with the Indonesian Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force, while our Navy has regular bilateral exercises with the Navies of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei.

Our close ties with our ASEAN friends are also manifested in the training opportunities that they have granted to the SAF. Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei allow Singapore Armed Forces to carry out unilateral exercises in their countries.

The Air Combat Manoeuvring Range in Sumatra which we develop jointly together with the Indonesian Air Force will be commissioned later this month. Last year, Thailand renewed the training arrangement for the SAF and the RSAF to train in Thailand itself.

Sir, I now move on to the relations with the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) countries. The Five Power Defence Arrangement countries, namely, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Singapore form a key institution contributing to the security of the region. The FPDA has served us well over the past two decades. Its value as a political and psychological deterrent has not diminished. This arrangement remains relevant to the region. Cooperation between the FPDA partners is excellent. The regular air defence and naval exercises have been broadened and interaction between FPDA defence officials institutionalised. This year, Singapore will be hosting the second meeting of the FPDA Defence Ministers and the Chiefs of Defence Forces will also be meeting in Malaysia later on in the year.

Sir, the House is aware of our increasing defence ties with Australia. Last year, we signed the MOU to shift the RSAF Flying Training School to Pearce in Western Australia. The School has already started operations and it is progressing well. The permanent premises of the School are being built and should be completed this year, with the laying of the foundation stone of the building scheduled for later this month. Last year, we signed a defence cooperation and technology agreement with Australia to facilitate collaboration in defence research and technology. And in December, we signed another MOU allowing our armoured troops to exercise in Australian territory this year. We also conduct regular joint exercises with the Australian Defence Forces and these exercises have proved to be extremely valuable to the Singapore Armed Forces.

Sir, our defence ties with the United States are also excellent. We see the United States as a special friend and we regard continued US engagement in the region as important for regional stability. Singapore is not alone in supporting continued US presence. Over the past two years, many other countries in the region have also expressed in one form or another their view that the presence of US forces in the region is still vital and necessary to the continuous stability and security of the region.

The SAF has regular exercises with US forces, in particular with the US forces under the US-Pacific Command. These exercises are carried out in Singapore, in Hawaii, in continental US, and in Alaska. Our three services have benefitted immensely from our interactions with the US forces. Mindef will continue with its active defence diplomacy to strengthen existing relations and forge new relations.

Sir, Dr Ho has touched upon the scarcity of training space in Singapore. This is indeed a serious problem for the SAF and a very severe constraint. Over the years, the availability of training areas in Singapore has shrunk. The total land area available for training is now less than half the land available to the SAF in 1967. As Singapore develops, we can expect further encroachment on the training areas.

Sir, we also face constraints in the air. When our Air Force jets take off, in less than a minute they are already out of Singapore airspace. That gives Members an idea of how small, how limited the airspace of Singapore is. But we cannot allow the lack of training area or the shortage of airspace to impede the training of the Singapore Armed Forces. We need to conduct regular and realistic training in order to hone the SAF into an effective and efficient fighting force, a force that is capable of fulfilling its task and mission of safeguarding the sovereignty of Singapore.

So, wherever possible, we have applied technology to help us resolve and overcome the problems related to shortage of training space and training area. Hence, the SAF has made extensive use of simulators. After training on the simulators, when our troops go out for actual exercises, they are able to maximise, to make the best use of, the very limited space that is available to us. In this way, every exercise in the training area is optimised to give the best possible training to our Armed Forces.

Sir, to provide realistic simulator training, we have gone extensively into laser technology, into systems that permit us to help the soldiers themselves have a good feel of what it would be like in actual battle. We use systems that are referred to as the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES). Such systems permit the SAF to engage in a whole variety of exercises with realism. When a soldier is not carrying out his actions or his tactics properly, that lesson can very easily be brought home to him because he can be "shot" by a laser gun. And when he is shot, his system is deactivated and he knows that in real training, in a real battle, he would have been dead. With the laser system, we are able to get our soldiers to learn very realistically the correct moves that they have got to make tactically.

Sir, to optimise also on limited space, we have developed baffled ranges. These are ranges which minimise the amount of land required around the range. This means that we squeeze the maximum amount of training value out of the land available to us. We also use various parts of Singapore using imaginative and innovative exercises on a large scale. For example, we use old HDB flats that have been designated or earmarked for demolition for our troops' training. When holding such exercises, particularly exercises near to built-up areas, the SAF makes every effort to minimise inconvenience to the public. We inform residents and members of the public of the areas of the exercise before we launch the exercise itself, so that residents will be forewarned and not be alarmed. We also establish hotlines for residents to call should they have queries on such exercises. However, and here I want to stress, even with the best of effort, because of some of these large-scale exercises, a certain amount of inconvenience to residents and to members of the public may be inevitable. And here I request Members to explain to their constituents the training constraints faced by the SAF and to seek their understanding.

Sir, I touched briefly earlier on on the training of the Republic of Singapore Air Force in Australia. We have been very fortunate in that, with the constraints that we experience, we have many countries which are generous in providing us with training facilities. The Singapore Government is grateful to these countries. Because of the availability of land overseas, we have been able to carry out large-scale, sophisticated and complicated manoeuvres that would otherwise not be possible if we were to do it in Singapore itself.

As a result of the steps that we have taken, Sir, I am happy to assure the House that the Singapore Armed Forces' operational readiness and combat effectiveness have not in any way been undermined, despite the lack of training areas in Singapore. In fact, what we have done is to turn adversity into advantage. Because we have to send our servicemen overseas regularly with large amount of movement of equipment and weapon systems, we have been able to develop and sharpen our ability to deploy our forces quickly, notwithstanding the extremely large logistic tail that has got to follow the troops wherever they go. This, I have no doubt, will stand us in good stead in the event of an emergency. The SAF is fully capable of carrying out its mission of safeguarding Singapore's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, I have a cut.

The Chairman: You were not in the House when I called your name. We have run out of time on this amendment. Mr Chen, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Mr Bernard Chen: Sir, I withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The Chairman: Amendment No. (2), six minutes, Dr Ho.

Dr Ho Tat Kin: Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head K of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code KA 1500.

Sir, before the recruits in the SAF can accept rigorous combat training, they have to be physically fit. If not, there will be many training casualties resulting in manpower wastage.

In Singapore where we have a limited number of youth available for military duties, manpower wastage is something we can ill-afford. In 1976, the number of 18-year olds eligible for national service recruitment was 32,000. By 1994, this figure dropped to 20,000 as a result of declining birth rates. It is therefore all the more important for the SAF to save on medical attrition and reduce training injuries to the minimum. At present, the Basic Military Training (BMT) can be segregated into either three, four, or five months depending on the physical fitness of recruits. Sir, I would like to ask the Minister to update the House on the effectiveness of the segregated BMT. 2.15 pm

Having completed their full-time National Service, the men are operationally ready for combat duties. They will leave full-time service to be NSmen. The name "Operationally Ready" signifies that our NSmen have a moral obligation, if not a legal one, to maintain their physical fitness. The NSmen's physical fitness is monitored by the IPPT. Since April last year, the SAF introduced new IPPT standards and incentives to motivate the men. I would like to ask the Minister what these new IPPT standards and incentives are and how effective they have been to motivate the NSmen to keep fit.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Can I interrupt, Mr Chairman?

The Chairman: Yes, Mr Chiam.

Mr Chiam See Tong: "Guillotine" time is at 2.30 pm. There are still 15 minutes more.

The Chairman: Mr Chiam, I think you are not following the proceedings carefully. We are going amendment by amendment, and that amendment has already used up the time allotted for it.

Mr Chiam See Tong: But the point is that we are still within time.

The Chairman: I think you do not understand Standing Orders. The point is that you were not in the House when your name was called earlier.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, last year, in June, Mindef introduced the restructured Basic Military Training system where enlistees who are not sufficiently fit have got to attend a two-month physical training phase before they join those enlistees who are fit. Then together they go through a three-month common Basic Military Training programme.

Sir, under the physical training phase, the enlistees who are less fit undergo a more focused physical conditioning programme designed specifically to help them attain the basic requirements of fitness so that they can start the military training proper. Since the implementation of this programme, the medical attrition for the recruits who are less fit has come down very sharply. Previously, the medical attrition of the less fit has been hovering around 13.4%. This has dropped by about a half to about 6.8%. In toto, if we include also the results for those who are fit, Mindef has reduced the overall medical attrition rate for each cohort from 14.2% under the old regime, where everybody goes in to do a 3-month Basic Military Training programme, to 5.7% under the present programme of the less fit taking a little more time. What this means is that each year, with an annual cohort of about 15,000 recruits, we are able to get 1,300 more recruits available for combat. These would be those who previously would have been medically attrited and hence not available for combat duties. Quite obviously, this is a very important contribution, given the progressively diminishing male citizens at the age of 18 available for national service.

Physical fitness among the less fit has shown a very dramatic improvement. 75% of a thousand-odd enlistees who came in for this special programme passed the IPPT under the physical training phase. Indeed, another 23% marginally failed only one test and that is the chin-up which Singaporeans, by and large, find great difficulty in passing. Only 2% of those who were considered less fit prior to the programme have not been able to pass the IPPT test itself.

Sir, National Servicemen, previously referred to as reservists, are our front-line soldiers. They are the people who form the bulk of our defence force. It is, therefore, extremely important that their physical fitness be satisfactory. To encourage them to strive for higher levels of physical fitness, we recently introduced the IPPT monetary incentives. I am happy to report that since the introduction of these incentives, beginning 1st April 1993, there has been a general improvement in the physical fitness of the NSmen. Compared to work year 1992, the overall number of IPPT passes has increased by 2.4%. But the 2.4% covers a very sharp improvement because there is the improvement in quality, over and above that of the minimum standards required.

Let me give the House some details. For example, the number of NSmen who have attained the gold standards, in other words, the highest level required, has more than doubled. For those who have attained the silver standards, it has increased by more than half, in other words, more than 50%. And the number of those who have passed, at what we refer to as special incentive standard, has increased by a quarter. So not only is there a total increase in the number of people passing, there is now a much fitter army of NSmen.

The Chairman: Dr Yeo, we are running out of time.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, to encourage the new NSmen to maintain the same physical fitness that they have achieved while they were in full-time National Service, Mindef will increase the IPPT pass standards for new NSmen who ROD on or after 1st April to the same level that they attained when they were NSF. We will also be helping those NSmen who have difficulty in maintaining their physical fitness by replacing the residential training scheme with a new non-residential remedial training, beginning 1st April 1994.

Sir, the new training system is another of Mindef's continuing efforts to help our servicemen improve their physical fitness and, in the process, enhance Singapore's defence capability.

Dr Ho Tat Kin: I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, I beg to move,

That the sum to be allocated for Head K of the Main Estimates be reduced by $10 in respect of Code KA 2100.

(In Mandarin): Sir, recently the body of a Taiwanese Navy Captain was found floating in the sea which led to the discovery of a collusion between the military and the military equipment suppliers. The military equipment suppliers have established a relation with retired military officers to rig the procurement of military equipment. So the extreme case in Taiwan that was uncovered has given rise to the question as to whether we have any safeguard against such irregularities. What kind of system do we have to monitor the system of military procurement, especially those that are not done by way of tender, that is, from the time of proposal to procure military equipment up to the time of approval? What sort of procedures are followed? Furthermore, are there any regulations to ensure that there is no irregularity among our people who are involved in military procurement? Can the Minister for Defence assure us that there is no such irregularity happening in Singapore?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, the Member for Hougang has asked whether Mindef has any safeguard in its military procurement procedures.

Sir, let me assure this House that Mindef is fully conscious of the need for a rigorous and objective military procurement system. Mindef has to stretch every dollar in its defence budget to build up a credible defence capability to ensure Singapore's peace and security.

Sir, apart from the quality of our commanders and soldiers, the success or otherwise of our mission to defend Singapore also depends on the defence systems which we purchase for peace time training and for countering threats in the event of war. Our procurement system is, therefore, designed to ensure that we get the most cost-effective equipment. Before any system is procured, there are many steps to be taken. From defining the needs for a particular weapon system to the actual acquisition of the system, there are stringent procedures and involvement of various professionals to ensure that money is spent only when there is a clear and definite need for that particular system and that they be spent in the most cost-effective way.

Sir, there are many different levels in the committee comprising professionals from the military services, meaning the airforce, the army and the navy, Technology Division, Contracts and Finance Organisation within Mindef which will objectively deliberate and assess the requirements and the funding limits for the respective projects before Mindef proceeds to procure what is required.

Sir, every purchase is recommended only after thorough evaluation by different groups of professionals. They evaluate offers based on specifications established clearly beforehand. Potential suppliers - and these are international suppliers because when Mindef calls for tenders for the supply of equipment, these are international tenders and the defence industries from many countries take part in these tenders - know very well, through our tender document, that it is illegal to offer gratification and, through the practice of our procurement procedures, they know that it is useless to attempt political or other influence on our process of evaluating tenders. They know that it is useless to attempt influencing present serving or retired members of the armed forces. Depending on the value of the purchase, the committee which approves the purchase may involve Ministers from other Ministries to further enhance impartiality and objectivity.

Sir, the procurement procedures and the actual contracts themselves are routinely audited both by Mindef's internal audit department and also the Auditor-General's Office.

Sir, our military procurements are therefore based on sound, tested and regularly audited procedures to ensure that the SAF derives maximum value for every defence dollar spent.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Would the Minister assure this House that a similar incident which happened in Taiwan will not happen in Singapore?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, I will assure this House that there is no possibility of such an event of any corruption, or wrongdoing, taking place in Mindef's procurement procedures. But I do not know what goes on in other countries, regardless of what the Member is suggesting here. Let me assure him and other Members of this House that we regularly audit our procedures to ensure that no wrongdoing can ever take place.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

The sum of $4,329,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $350,000,000 for Head K ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

Head B -

Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon (Nominated Member): Sir, I beg to move,

That the total sum to be allocated for Head B of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100.

Our prosecutors in AG's Chambers are very efficient and hardworking. They do an excellent job in enforcing the law. But they are human and they do make mistakes. Every once in a while, we read of people being acquitted after trial, or acquitted after charges against them are withdrawn. In a civil case, if a plaintiff loses his case, he pays the defendant's costs. In a criminal case, if a person is acquitted without a stain on his character, he still has to pay his own lawyers for defending him. If a person is acquitted because he has committed no crime, is it just for him to be forced to spend, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, vindicating himself? Is it just that an innocent man may have to ruin himself financially to prove his innocence? 2.30 pm

The Criminal Procedure Code allows the Magistrate to award the princely sum of $50 if a prosecution is brought frivolously. This, I think, Members of the House will agree is totally inadequate. Could the Minister please look into the possibility of giving the courts the discretion to award costs to a defendant in an appropriate case if he is acquitted?

What are the arguments against such payments? Can it be said that paying costs to acquitted persons will inhibit prosecutions? That argument is specious. A prosecution is brought when the Public Prosecutor is satisfied that there is a prima facie case. I do not think that the fact that costs would have to be paid if the accused is in fact innocent will stop a good case being brought to trial. If it deters marginal cases being brought to trial, or if it deters frivolous cases, then we should not mourn about that. If the objection is that the State cannot pay, again it shows that it is specious. The Public Prosecutor, I am sure, is very careful about the people he prosecutes. It is only in a very small minority of cases that a mistake is made, perhaps the wrong person is prosecuted. So in this very small minority of cases, cannot the State with its budget surplus afford to redress the wrong it has done to a person who should have not been prosecuted, but who is? Legal costs are very high and it is a small comfort to a person to be vindicated in court if he is ruined financially.

The prosecution already claims costs from persons who are convicted. This is fair. A criminal should pay for the expenses of his trial. But the other side of the coin is that if a person has been prosecuted when he is innocent, he should have his costs reimbursed. It is a matter of fairness to individuals who are mistakenly prosecuted that they should be paid the costs by the State. It is not a subsidy. It is justice.

The Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Sir, the existing position is that under the Criminal Procedure Code, the subordinate courts or the High Court can award taxed costs against the complainant or the informant where the prosecution is vexatious or frivolous. This is in addition to the $50 which the Magistrate's Courts can award. On appeal, the High Court can also award costs to any party on appeal. It is true that there is a provision for costs to be awarded for the prosecution but I understand that this is very rarely invoked.

While Prof. Walter Woon's arguments may on the surface appear attractive and it can be studied, personally, I would be very reluctant to proceed on the basis of providing for costs in criminal proceedings on the same basis as for civil proceedings. Civil proceedings are disputes between private parties.

In criminal proceedings, there is a fundamental difference, ie, there is an over-riding public interest for the State to bring prosecution to maintain law, order and security. Let us not forget, because Prof. Walter Woon said that when a person is acquitted, he used the words, "Is it just to have wrongly prosecuted him?", there are many components which come together when prosecutions are made.

First, someone has to report that he has been a victim of a crime or that he has seen a crime being committed. It is in our interest to encourage him to come forward and report. Next, the matter has to be investigated thoroughly by the Police and investigation papers put up. Witnesses have to be assembled and they will have to be encouraged to come forward and give evidence. Finally, the Attorney-General's Chambers evaluates all the evidence on the basis of the investigation papers and makes a decision whether to prosecute or not. If a prosecution fails, does it mean, as Prof. Walter Woon says, that the prosecutors have made a mistake? I do not think we can conclude that. Prosecutions can fail for a wide variety of reasons. The witnesses may change their evidence at the trial. Material witnesses may no longer be available when the trial starts. Or witnesses may be reluctant or refuse to testify or witnesses may fail to remember accurately the events resulting in confusion and discrepancy. Therefore, it is wrong to conclude that if a person is acquitted that the prosecution has bungled. There are many, many factors.

Therefore, this leads me to the other point. If we are going to provide for costs whenever a person is acquitted, I feel that this will have an inhibiting effect on prosecutors and on the Police. Because surely the Minister for Finance will want to ask the Attorney-General and the Police to account for the costs. It will lead to a situation where the Police and the prosecution will want to take up only sure-win cases. Is that in our interest?

If we have a rape case, a girl comes forward and alleges rape, witnesses are assembled, her testimony is taken, but the case is thrown out, the State has to pay. Then surely the State will also want to recover the costs from the informant or the person who reported because that triggered off the whole case. So let us keep this matter in balance. Let us not equate criminal proceedings exactly with civil proceedings. There is a fundamental difference in the public interest involved. Of course, where prosecution has been done in bad faith, where there has been malice, then the party concerned can bring an action for malicious prosecution. I would therefore say that on this matter I will proceed with very considerable reluctance in equating it with civil proceedings.

The Chairman: Prof. Woon, would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon: Sir, I believe the Minister has missed my point. I am not saying that in every case where you acquit, the prosecution should be made to pay costs. I am saying that the court should have the discretion in a proper case where they are satisfied that the person before them is in fact innocent, that this innocent person should not have to pay his own costs to vindicate himself.

The Chairman: Order. It is guillotine time. Would you like to withdraw your amendment?

Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon: No, Sir, in view of the Minister's answer.

Question on the amendment put, and negatived.

The sum of $15,599,600 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates.

The sum of $622,700 for Head B ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates.

The Chairman: Order.

Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.